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September is an extremely busy month in the golf world! The Ladies Major Championships are in France, the USLPGA Tour is in New Zealand, the PGA European Tour is visiting The Netherlands, Portugal and England while the USPGA Tour is heading to Illinois, Atlanta, California and New Jersey. It is little wonder then that Jack Dillon, writing for http://www.pga.com, says that Autumn is the best season to play golf as courses are less crowded and the air is becoming crisper. He recommends that you “grab the joy while you can” and get some rounds played before winter comes in.

Although some of these can be avoided by warming up the muscles and ensuring your grip and swing are correct others are harder to ward off. The good news is that Holisticare therapists can help if you do get a golfing injury.

Golfers spend their time on the course in two main positions – the bent-over stance when taking a shot and the more upright walking position (but this is compromised by carrying or pulling their set of clubs). Incidentally you might be surprised how far you walk during an 18 hole round. It was found that on the 6800 yard (3.9 mile) course of Royal County Down the average distance walked was 6.6 miles!

The rotational action of a swing puts pressure on every part of the body. This can result in back pain, tendonitis, bursitis, tears in the rotator cuff in the shoulder, twisted knees and hips and a stiff neck.
Golfer’s elbow is an inflammation of the inner tendon of the elbow, opposite to tennis elbow which is inflammation of the outer tendon but golfers get both due to the swing action. Jack Nicklaus and Peter Jacobsen both needed hip replacements and it is believed that the repeated rotational force on the body contributed to this.

Jolt action also causes injuries and pain – there are few golfers who have never taken a massive, deep divot instead of a smoother, shallow one and the energy of this travels up the club and back into the body. Hitting a hidden tree root has similar impact. In 2015 Tiger Woods hit a shot into the rough on the 9th holes, he had a seemingly clear shot to get back into position on the course. He took the shot and hammered is club into a tree root causing instant pain in his wrist. Apparently he popped a ligament back into place and carried on!

So, get out there, enjoy your golf and if you need us you know where we are!

Woodfest Weekend
The Holisticare team have being getting around too! We had a great weekend at Woodfest in Hatfield Forest on the 2nd weekend of September. Our therapists are so good that people who had taster treatments managed to relax despite our being next to the children’s activities which included a not so peaceful leaf banging bonanza! The majority of people coming for treatment had neck, shoulder and back pain so if you know anyone who is “Woodfesting” next year let them know there will be a place on site to ease their camping aches!

Saturday was very busy but Sunday less so due to the weather. Taking appointments while firmly holding onto a gazebo that was threatening to blow away was a new experience. Gordon is often a natty dresser on his days out but, as he had no need for his sun hat and had left his Sou’wester at home, he let the sound from the main stage tent wash over him and took a nap.

Remember that if you took one of our Woodfest leaflets from us you will receive £15 off your first treatment with us.

Mental Health Wellbeing Extravaganza presented by The Centre of Wellbeing & East Herts Council

On Sunday 17th September Nikki and Sally had an extremely busy day at The Rhodes Art Complex in Bishop’s Stortford with so many people coming for taster treatments that they had to stop taking bookings. It was a great event organised by Claire Evans from The Centre of Wellbeing in Sawbridgeworth and Holisticare were very pleased to be able to attend and be part of the experience.

Don’t Forget
We require at least 24 hours notice to cancel your appointment. Notice under 24 hours or non-attendance incurs a charge for the usual rate of your therapist payable on receipt of invoice.

What do you do with, or for, your children in the long summer holiday? Perhaps you go abroad to a glorious sunny beach or pool, or book them onto activity or sports weeks. Maybe you treat them to days out to zoos, theme parks or studio tours. Possibly you just allow them the freedom of enjoying the longer days, hanging out with their friends and let yourself savour not having to oversee homework or make sure they get to school on time, all the while dreading the horror of checking if school uniform still fits and will make it through to December.

But what could you do which might influence their wellbeing all the way into adulthood? The best way is to give your children a summer holiday treatment at Holisticare. Myofascial Release is one of the few treatments that is completely safe at all ages, from new born upwards. It is a very gentle way of working with your body to untangle restrictions. As you know, it is very common to have aches and pains when you get older and these are often related to old problems that you have had for years. With our expertise we can tackle the problems your child has now to help reduce pain they might get in 50 years’ time!

Do the children in your life complain about any aches, pains or tightness? Have they had operations or broken bones? Have they had lots of dental work? Do they play a lot of sports? Have they previously (or currently!) injured themselves? Falls are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries for children aged 0-19 – they account for 44% of all children’s accidents in the UK (Consumer Safety Unit 24th Annual Report) and result in anything from bruises to sprains, pulled muscles, ligaments and tendons, dislocations, fractures and breaks. Scalds and burns are other very common injuries to children with around 2500 children going to A&E every year as a result of bath water scalds, with 500 needing to be admitted. We can treat scarring to make them feel less tight.

If any of these have happened to your children please talk to them and find out if they are living with pain or other symptoms, and how long it has been going on. Children often assume that symptoms they have always had are normal, so they might not think to tell you. But by listening to them now and getting help if they need it, you can save them from a life time of problems.

If your child is still a baby and had a difficult birth, perhaps by forceps or ventouse, is tight and stiff from positioning in the womb, has a flattened head from lying in one position, or suffers from colic or reflux we can treat those too. The youngest child we have treated was just 2 days old.

Son and Daughter Day is on Friday 11 August so if you do discover that your child is living with pain or other symptoms, then please give us a call at Holisticare. Our therapists are happy to give a free phone consultation so that you know if we can help your child.

Don’t Forget!

Late and Saturday Appointment Times We are open from 9am – 9pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 9am-3pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. If you can’t make our normal 9am-3pm times call for an evening or Saturday appointment on 01279 718331.

Notice board Our notice board is now up and we have divided it into three sections: Holisticare, Other Therapies and Community. The Holisticare section shows all our leaflets and news about us. The middle section displays leaflets and business cards from other therapists, two who treat patients in our centre (Ed Fuller, acupuncture, and Harvey Backshall, Mindpro hypnotherapy and NLP) as well as others such as reflexologists, nutritionists and counsellors. The Community section is to allow local organisations to advertise their events that may be of interest to other members of the Holisticare family.

As most of you already know we moved into our new, purpose-built Treatment Centre at the end of May. We also entered the St Clare £50 Challenge and held a raffle, a “Helping Hands” art competition and a quiz night, our Open Day, and, as if that wasn’t enough, we then found we were finalists in Uttlesford Business Awards too.

The £50 Challenge ran from April to June. The aim was to use fifty pounds to fundraise as much as possible for the Hospice. We sold so many raffle tickets that at one point we had one receptionist and three therapists all diligently folding and tearing to make sure that they were ready for the draw at the Quiz Night. Thank you to everyone who joined in and also to everyone who donated prizes, they varied from treatment vouchers for acupuncture and reiki to an assortment of hampers to wine to a handmade oak bowl.

Ali and Al worked very hard to provide an entertaining quiz evening and Sally, Damian and Jacina helped out on the evening with setting up the hall and some super-speedy marking. A fabulous thirteen teams came to the quiz held in Hatfield Broad Oak Village hall. The lead was hotly contested with five teams taking the lead throughout the evening. Well done to “Strong and Stable”, “Mixed Veg”, “The Artists”, and “Pizzerears” but at the final count “Higgs Bosun” won by just 3 points. The winning team members were presented with a bottle of wine each. A special mention goes to the two teams who graciously shared last place, “O The Consanants” and “Norfolk and Chance”. We had prizes for them too – traditional wooden spoons and less traditional party bottles of bubbles! We also played a Heads and Tails, true or false game. There were more questions planned but one particular question took out over half the room! Congratulations to Duncan Rutherford who won a bottle of champagne which has kindly been donated by Sainsbury’s in Thorley. A photo revealed later that he didn’t keep hold of it for long as other members of his team took advantage while he dismantled the speakers and microphone which he had generously allowed us to use for the evening.

Local professional artist, Paulene Brakspear judged our Helping Hands Art Competition entries and gave feedback for every single contestant which is far more than we ever expected her to do so thanks Paulene, you are amazing.

We held our award ceremony at our Open Day. Many people attended, had a look round our new treatment rooms, enjoyed some refreshments in our studio and Reception was very full! Certificates were awarded to all entrants who achieved a Special Mention place or higher and the winners of each category won a free treatment at Holisticare worth £66. In addition the Pre-School, Primary and Secondary age winners won a book about the human body, a build your own skeleton kit and an art set respectively. All the “Helping Hands” are currently on display on our noticeboard but they’ll only be there a week as they are going to be used to make a collage picture to donate to St Clare who is intending to auction it to raise even more funds. The winners are as follows:

Also at the Open Day we announced how much we’d raised in the challenge – a very healthy £1660. Nikki was excited to be able to present Amy Jacobs, St Clare Corporate Partnerships Manager, with a “big cheque”.

This is the third time we have participated in the Challenge and we were delighted with the amount we raised this time, it takes our total to over six thousand pounds.

Unfortunately Nikki was unable to come to the quiz but she had a very good reason. She was attending the Uttlesford Business Awards evening. Holisticare was a finalist in the Small Business of the Year Category and winner of the Judges’ Award which is chosen from all the finalists and is the business that the judges feel show great potential and is the “one to watch” for 2017. Nikki said, “I was delighted that we were finalists in the Small Business of the Year award. It has been a very busy and exciting year at Holisticare, expanding our team and moving into larger premises with more treatment rooms and in-house studio for group treatments, classes and hire. We are excited to win the Judges’ Award because it means our passion and our skill in our specialism is being recognised.”

Don’t Forget!

Workshop for Horse Riders. Our first set of Riders’ Workshops was very successful. Call us on 01279 718331 to register your interest for future sets and/or let us know if your stables would be interested in hosting the workshops.

Free Yourself Hour Classes. If you have missed this round of classes don’t worry, our next set will begin in September. You can register your interest now and we will contact you nearer the time to confirm your place.

Notice board
We are creating a Community section on our notice board. Initially this will be primarily to advertise events in our local community including Hatfield Broad Oak, Hatfield Heath, Sheering, Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow, Saffron Walden and Dunmow. If you have, or know of, events that would be of interest to other members of the Holisticare family such as Fun Runs, school fayres or festivals please email or drop in with your leaflet or poster (maximum size A4 please).

“Imagine having all your joints slowly pulled apart. Now imagine that you’re not imagining it. This is Rheumatoid Arthritis.”

This quote by someone using the name RA Guy struck us as we were reading about people’s experiences with Rheumatoid Arthritis. 19-25 June is Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness week so we are looking at what Rheumatoid Arthritis is and how we at Holisticare can help those living with it.

We’ve all heard of Rheumatoid Arthritis and most of us know it causes painful joints but there is much more to it than that. It is a challenging, painful condition which often progresses to have a debilitating impact on your daily activities.

It is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in multiple joints, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. It typically affects joints symmetrically and can cause problems in any joint in the body usually starting with the small joints in the hands and feet. The throbbing, aching pain is often worse in the mornings or after a period of rest. Linings of the joints become inflamed causing the joints to swell, redden and become hot and tender to touch. Eventually your joints may become so severe that your hands and feet, in particular, become misshapen. Stiffness, like pain, and stiffness from osteoarthritis, is usually worse in the morning or after rest, but unlike osteoarthritis, the stiffness persists for a significant period of time, usually more than half an hour. Stiffness in the hands can be so severe that you can’t form a fist, or fully bend or straighten your fingers.

Symptoms often develop gradually over several weeks but some cases can progress quickly over a number of days. They vary from person to person, can come and go, and may change over time. You might experience flares when your condition deteriorates and symptoms become more severe.

RA doesn’t just affect your joints. It can cause a high temperature, poor appetite, weight loss, sweating, depression, irritability anaemia and fatigue. It can also affect the eyes resulting in dry, painful or inflamed eyes, as well as rheumatoid nodules around the elbows or on hands and feet, and can even, rarely, affect the lungs and heart membrane.

There is currently no cure for RA but there is a range of treatments that can help to reduce pain and limit the impact it has on a sufferer’s daily life. Of course painkillers can help but, as time goes on, the strength of medication often has to be increased. Some patients are offered surgery under certain circumstances and many find it helpful. Myofascial Release Treatment also helps to reduce pain, can help to maintain or improve mobility and even assist in recovery after surgery.

Carol M Davis, DPT (Doctorate of Physical Therapy) was a Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with a specific interest in researching scientific foundations and clinical outcomes from the use of therapies such as MFR and she studied the use of MFR in the treatment of various conditions including RA. In 2011 a study showed that Myofascial Release Treatment three times a week for 2 weeks can relieve pain and other Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms. The techniques used in the study included arm and leg pulls, manual cervical traction, transverse plane releases and cross-hand techniques. Dr Davis explained that using the extended pressure of MFR (more than 3 minutes) to targeted areas on the body helps to change the underlying structure of connective tissue (the fascia) and corrects areas of restriction that could be contributing to the pain.

If you, or someone you know, has Rheumatoid Arthritis and would like to either give your liver, stomach and kidneys a rest by reducing your painkillers, or have had surgery and need a boost to recover, call us at Holisticare to make an appointment.

Don’t Forget!

12-24 June Father’s Day Offer. Call between 12 & 24 June to book and pay for a 1 hour treatment for your father and get £25 off his treatment PLUS £10 off your next treatment. Quote FDO17 when booking.

Workshop for Horse Riders. Part Two 28th June. Attridges Equestrian Centre, High Roding, CM6 1NQ. Part 1 only £20, both parts £35. Call us on 01279 718331

Holisticare Quiz Night for St Clare Hospice. Friday 30 June. We are now full for this event. You can still join in and help us raise more for St Clare by entering our raffle. Please drop in to buy your tickets.

Free Yourself Hour Classes. Week 3, Thursday 22nd at 6.45pm. If you have missed this round of classes don’t worry, our next set will begin in September.

This week our blog is inspired by Sewing Machine Day on 13 June. The day celebrates the invention of the machine because of the advances in the textile industry it enabled and the time saving benefits to many families who no longer had to labour over hand stitching. The first idea of a double pointed needle with an eye at either end was in 1755. By 1790 Thomas Saint patented a machine for “quilting, stitching, and sewing” but there are no working examples of his invention left today. The machine that went on to revolutionise the textile industry was invented and patented by Barthelemy Thimonnier in 1829.

Many people enjoy letting their creative side out by crafting. You might love textile crafts such as knitting, crochet, embroidery or quilting. How about papercraft like cardmaking, quilling or book folding? Maybe you make jewellery with intricate beadwork or silver or possibly you’ve ventured into traditional artisan crafts such as basket weaving, yarn spinning or pottery. Perhaps you’re into heavier crafts for example wood or metal working or artistic blacksmithing. Crafting is relaxing and fun but you can end up with aches and pains. The most commonly affected areas are the neck, shoulders, back, wrists, hands and head and other areas of the body can suffer too depending on the nature of the craft. This is where Holisticare comes in.

The three main things that can cause pains or injuries when crafting are tools, motion and posture. Obviously tools of any kind pose a risk of injury such as cuts, burns, bruises, contusions, haematoma and impact injuries, leaving scars and restrictions. Aside from this sort of damage it’s important to use the right tools, in good lighting and often with magnification to avoid eye strain which can then produce headaches.

Many crafts involve repetitive motion which can result in repetitive strain injury with pain in muscles, nerves and tendons sometimes with stiffness, tingling or numbness or throbbing. It is most usually felt in hands and wrists, forearms and elbow, and the neck and shoulders. A way to help reduce the risk of such injury is to ensure your workspace is ergonomically sound, so that frequently used tools or supplies are closer to your reach and a circular layout is also helpful. An ergonomically inefficient work area causes you to stretch awkwardly, reach unnatural positions and tighten up which increases the risk of hurting yourself.

Maintaining good posture is also important. All crafters know this but so few of us take any notice until we’re reaching for the painkillers! We sit in unsuitable chairs, often don’t use armrests, slouch, hunch and twist over what we’re working on, lean on our elbows too much, crane our necks, stoop over to see what we’re doing and don’t get up and walk about or stretch frequently enough. As a result we get a stiff neck, upper and lower back pain, headaches, fatigue and even pins and needles in our legs. Being mindful of posture and paying attention to how you’re holding your body and correcting it can help prevent all these.

In reality though, we ignore the early aches and discomfort which then can become persistent and more serious. Whether you think you’re at this early stage, or have been an uncomfortable crafter for years and have constant symptoms, Holisticare therapists can help. We can help to correct damage caused by tools (for example scars and burns), and ease the pains and injuries caused by repeated motion and poor posture. Why not call us to help you to keep crafting?

Diary

Free Yourself Hour Classes. 6 weekly sessions, Thursdays at 6.45pm or Fridays at 10.15am. If you have missed the first class you can still join for the rest of the course. Call us to book your place.

Friday 16 June 1pm: Helping Hands Art Competition for St Clare. Closing deadline is 1pm on Friday 16 June. There’s no limit to how many times you enter as long as you pay a minimum of £1 per entry. Each of the 4 age categories will have a prize winner PLUS there will be an overall winner too. All winners will be announced at our Quiz Night on Friday 30 June

12-24 June Father’s Day Offer. Call between 12 & 24 June to book and pay for a 1 hour treatment for your father and get £25 off his treatment PLUS £10 off your next treatment. Quote FDO17 when booking.

We spent an extremely hot Bank Holiday weekend moving out of the old centre and studio and into the new and we’ve settled quickly into our new home. We’ve had some lovely comments from patients who’ve been to see us this week and we also now know we’re storm-proof after the torrential rain on Friday afternoon!

There are four treatment rooms instead of the previous three and the studio is in-house instead of “across the way”. The rooms are all being given new names with a link to Sedona in Arizona which has one of the first John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach treatment and teaching centres. It is also a place where various American Indian tribes lived, such as the Yavapai and Apache, so the names are symbolic.

The studio is named Buffalo which symbolises adaptability, strength, stability, provision and blessing. The treatment rooms are called Bear, Eagle, Horse and Wolf.
Can you guess which treatment room belongs to which therapist from the symbol meanings?
Bear: protector, courage, physical strength
Eagle: Nearer to the creator, courage, wisdom, strength, messenger
Horse: Grounded power of the earth with the whispers of wisdom found in spirit winds
Wolf: Great warrior, guardian, creator, safety, manifest well-being.
The door signs are in production so you’ll be able to check if you were right in the next couple of weeks!

The whole centre is on the ground floor and is fully wheelchair, buggy and walking aid friendly. We have plenty of parking in front and to the side of the building, again fully accessible. We think it feels comfortingly familiar with a fresh, brighter, more spacious atmosphere.

As before the studio is available for hire and as it’s now contained within our centre it has easier access to the toilet facilities, hot and cold water and is fully accessible.

We’re sure you’ll like the environment in the new Holisticare Centre so why not book an appointment and let us help you get moving too.

Beginning 8th and 9th June: Free Yourself Hour Classes. 6 sessions running weekly on Thursday evenings at 6.45pm and Friday mornings at 10.15am. Learn how to release your mind and body to see instant results and achieve long term benefits. A series of 6 sessions is £120. Call us to book your place.

Friday 16 June 1pm: There has been some confusion about our closing date for Helping Hands competition. The entries are being collected by the judge at 1pm on Friday 16 June so that is your deadline!

Holisticare staff are not eligible to enter the competition but we had a go anyway just for fun – what do you think?!
There’s no limit to how many times you enter as long as you pay a minimum of £1 per entry. Each of the 4 age categories will have a prize winner PLUS there will be an overall winner too. Don’t forget to return your entries to Reception or any Holisticare member of staff.

Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, said, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them…Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like” and we are certainly embracing changes which flow naturally forward here at Holisticare.

You may have noticed that, sadly, one of our receptionists, Ali Bradby, has left. She had been working with us since February 2016, was a very popular member of the team and has moved on to a change of career and we are very sorry to see her go.

In rather better news we are all very excited to announce that we will be moving into our new Treatment Centre at the end of this month. If you haven’t been to see us for a while, don’t worry, we are still in the same location but our new centre is bigger and better! All treatments from Tuesday 30 May will be in the new building and there will be sign-posted parking in front of the Centre.

As we are expanding our centre we are also expanding our therapy team. We have taken on another Myofascial Release practitioner. We asked our new therapist a little bit about herself.

What made you decide to train as a Myofascial Release Therapist?
It was amazing seeing the results that were achieved by the therapy – patients coming in with pain or limited movement then leaving with a smile.

Did you have to do anything to prepare to be an MFR therapist?
Yes, to be able to access the specialist MFR training I had to obtain a Level 3 Bodywork qualification including Anatomy and Physiology. I chose to complete this on a fast track 13 week course which was hard work but well worth the effort. After gaining that qualification I began the Myofascial Release treatment training.

What was the training like? Which courses did you do?
It was amazing. It was everything I thought it might be, and more. I was trained by Ruth Duncan at Myofascial Release UK in Glasgow. Again, the training was intense but extremely enjoyable, not only learning the techniques but having the opportunity to experience what the techniques feel like from a patient’s perspective.
The courses I studied were Myofascial Release Levels 1, 2 and 3 and Myofascial Release Assessment & Integration.

What are you most looking forward to about being an MFR practitioner at Holisticare?
Helping people. I’ve seen the sense of achievement that therapists experience when they see the results that MFR produces. I’m excited about feeling that sense of achievement when I’m making a positive difference to patients’ lives.

Have you had to move far to join our specialist centre?
No, I live locally with my husband, daughter and Jack Russell and know Nikki and the Holisticare team very well.

That sounds familiar…is that you Ali?
Of course it is! Having successfully completed my training in Glasgow I’m back at Holisticare and raring to go as a therapist.

Is there anything else we should have asked you?
(laughs) When you said you wanted to interview me for the Holisticare blog I thought you were going to ask me what is my favourite food. It’s squid by the way. Being serious though, I’ve really enjoyed my first week as a Holisticare MFR practitioner and look forward to treating many more patients.

So there you have it, we didn’t lose Ali at all! We’re sure that you will be as thrilled as we are that she is our new therapist.

Friday 16 June: Closing date for Helping Hands competition. If you haven’t joined in yet you still have time to get creative. It’s open to everyone from pre-school age upwards, there’s no limit to how many times you enter as long as you pay a minimum of £1 per entry. Each of the 4 age categories will have a winner PLUS there will be an overall winner too. Return your entries to Reception or any Holisticare member of staff.

Hatfield Broad Oak’s annual 10k Road Race and 1 Mile Fun Run are on Bank Holiday Monday on 29th May. This is the 32nd year that the race has been held and it’s one of the most popular 10k races for serious and casual runners alike. It’s open to runners aged 15 and over and approximately 1500 runners take part every year. The 1 Mile Fun Run is for younger runners and their friends and family.

It is a great event and the participants are in their final weeks of preparation. Preparation is extremely important because it’s estimated that almost 80% of runners worldwide are injured every year. At Holisticare we can help you to be ready for the run (though we won’t be running alongside you in your training runs!) and we can also help your body recover afterwards.

Runner’s World magazine says that 10k is the UK’s most popular race distance. 10k is about 6.2 miles so it’s great for those who are building up their strength and endurance towards a half marathon or a full marathon but it’s also great for the more casual runner who possibly has less time to commit to training but still wants a reasonable length run as a challenge.

They recommend that if you’re a first-time 10k runner you should increase your training distance gradually but about ¼ to ½ a mile at a time and UK runner Jo Pavey says to run at your own pace, take rest days and if you’ve got a niggle delay what you’re doing for a day, don’t just push through it. If you’ve got a target to achieve or beat a specific time then US Olympic runner and 10k record holder, Galen Rupp, advises varying your training practice to include runs at target pace, a little slower and a little faster.

Five of the most common ailments and injuries that runners are prone to are:
• Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome – PFPS) – pain slightly above or below the kneecap
• Achilles tendonitis – pain and swelling on the back of your heel
• Plantarfasciitis – pain in the heel or underside of your foot
• Iliotibial band syndrome – a pain-giving injury to the connective tissues – the iliotibial band which is a thick band that begins at the iliac crest in the pelvis, runs down the outer part of the thigh, and crosses the knee to attach into the top part of the shinbone
• Shin Splints (medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) – a cumulative stress disorder, with shins that feel hot and pain along the inner edge of the shin bone even while resting.

Other injuries common to runners are sprains, pulled muscles, blisters and getting a stitch. Most of these are caused by repeated stress on the bones, muscles and joints as you run on the hard surface of a road or track. Holisticare therapists can help reduce your risk of injury in your training and the race and then bring your body back to comfort after the run. We assess your posture and look at any movements that are restricted by pain or stiffness then use the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release technique to realign your body, soothe pain, release restrictions in the fascia and improve your flexibility and range of movement.

If you, or someone you know, are planning to join the HBO 10k Road Race, make an appointment with us for before and after the race so that you can keep on running!

World Asthma Day is an annual event organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma to improve awareness and care for sufferers. This year it is on Tuesday 2nd May so this week is an ideal opportunity to tell you that Myofascial Release Treatment could be of benefit if you are affected by asthma.

Fascia is a tissue throughout the body in a three dimensional web from head to toe. It holds your cells in their place, including muscles, bones, nerves, organs and vessels. It guards against overextension and absorbs tensile and compressive forces. If our fascia is restricted these forces cannot be dispersed. Myofascial release aims to relieve soft tissue and fascial restriction to enable patients to achieve a more normal range of movement.

What has this got to do with asthma?

In 1999 a post-graduate student at Oklahoma State University carried out a study on “Physical Therapy Intervention in Childhood Asthma: Myofascial Release Techniques and Massage”, using the gentle, non-invasive John Barnes technique that we use at Holisticare, for her Master of Science Degree.

Data was gathered from parents about the frequency of their children’s asthmatic episodes and their prescribed medication in the 2 years prior to MFR treatment and in the year post-treatment. A control group received ordinary massage. The Myofascial techniques used were temporal, mandibular, maxillary, hyoid, thoracic inlet and respiratory diaphragm releases.

The control group did show some improvement after treatment but the Myofascial Release group showed marked improvement. In the year post-treatment 75% of the MFR group showed a reduction in asthmatic episodes and the remaining 25% stayed the same, and most subjects reported a reduction in required medication in either frequency of dose or number of different medications. Although it was quite a small study the results are positive.

It is thought that by releasing the tightened fascial system the pressure on the lungs, autonomic nervous system, or the cranial nerves supplying the pulmonary system is reduced, thereby reducing the symptoms of asthma.

While Myofascial Release is not a cure for asthma it may help you breathe more easily. Call us for an appointment on 01279 718331.

Reminders

Our Helping Hands Competition in aid of St Clare Hospice is up and running and is open to all age groups from pre-school upwards.
We are now taking booking for teams (of up to 8 people) for our Quiz Night on Friday 30 June and raffle tickets are also now on sale.
If you would like to enter the competition, book a team, buy raffle tickets or donate a raffle prize please get in touch on 01279 718331 or talk to any of the Holisticare Team who will be happy to help.

You have probably seen articles in the press and on TV this past week (notably on the Victoria Derbyshire Programme) about the dangers of vaginal mesh implants which are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and incontinence. The headlines can be scary so how much of a problem is this and can you get it treated in any other way? At Holisticare we know there is another way!

The NHS estimates that 1 in 10 women will have surgery for POP by the time they’re 80. Some women with a pelvic organ prolapse don’t have any symptoms at all but others find that sex is uncomfortable, they may have problems urinating or be incontinent, or they may feel that there is a bulge or something coming down or out of the vagina. The organs which may be out of place include the bowel, uterus, bladder, rectum and vagina.

It’s estimated that 45% of women will have some level of urinary incontinence and there are increasing numbers of incontinence brands and products. The two most common types of incontinence are stress, when you leak when you cough, laugh or jump, and urge, when you have a sudden need to pee and can’t hold it. POP and incontinence share some causes such as being overweight, getting older, previous pelvic surgery, childbirth, and constipation. Conditions which weaken your body tissues such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can increase your risk.

Thousands of women in the UK have had vaginal mesh implants intended to act as a supporting structure like a hammock for the pelvic organs. Most of these have been successful with no problems being reported, however 800 women are now taking legal action against the NHS and manufacturers and the number of patients coming forward is rising. They have been left with intense pain and discomfort with their daily activities badly affected. In the most severe cases the mesh has either disintegrated or moved, slicing its way into the bladder, or right through the vaginal wall and women have been left in severe pain, unable to work, have sex or walk properly, are doubly incontinent with nerve damage and depression.

Some of these operations could have been avoided. Myofascial Release is a very effective technique that can be used to treat and manage the symptoms of uterine prolapse – one of the common causes of incontinence in women, and often treated by implanting a mesh. The difference with this approach is that we find and treat the cause of the problem rather than just treating the symptoms. The therapist assesses the patient’s whole body to find out where the strain causing the prolapses is coming from – often pelvic misalignment and old scar tissue.

Incontinence is commonly blamed on weak pelvic floor muscles, but there is no point to trying to strengthen a tight, twisted muscle – it just won’t happen! Myofascial Release allows the muscles to start from the correct position so they can work much more effectively and then can strengthen. The bladder itself can also be under strain, making it more prone to infection, sensitivity and leakage, so by releasing the tissues in the area around the bladder, the body can fight infection more effectively and the muscle in the bladder wall can work properly.
One of our patients, Wendy, came to us earlier this year on an Intensive Treatment Programme with these issues. This is what she said after her treatment, “I have come away with a new pelvic floor/vagina! …There have been “concrete” or “physical” changes to my condition of POP – walking proof having my vagina working again, or should I say pelvic floor.”